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rr srA'rEs PATENT EEic.

ROBERT G. EUNsON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WATER-COOLER FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,668, dated April 19, 1859-.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT G. EUNsoN, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful apparatus which I call ahydraulic decalorator, to be used to cool the condensing water of marinesteam-engines and for other purposes; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and .exact description.- of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal, verticalsection of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical, section ofthe same in the line m, m, Fig. l; Fig. 8 is a trans-verse, verticalsection of the same in the line y, y of Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

The main object of my invention is to deprive the condensing water ofsteam engines of the caloric received from the exhaust steam in theprocess of condensation by spray, by means of a current of cold seawater, without mixing, so that a small quantity of fresh water may besufficient wherewith to keep up condensation, the same water being usedover and over again continuously as condensing spray. The water obtainedfrom the exhaust steam when condensed by spray is nearly sufficient tosupply the boilers.

I am aware that many attempts have been made to cool the water from thehot well so as to inject the same into the condenser again, and someconstructions for that purpose resemble my decalorator, but I believenone have up to this time been successful, and no Steamship thatnavigates the salt seas condenses her steam by spray and carries freshwater in her boilers. The quantity of water required for condensingspray is very large, and any apparatus to cool such quantity in therequired time, and be within practicable limits, in regard to bulk,cost, and durability, must possess greater cooling powers than any ofthose yet devised for that purpose.

The novelty of my invention consists in rendering the use of very smalltubes available by combining them with numerous supporting and directingtube plates in the course of their length, that direct the current ofsea water so as to crossrand recross the tubes many times in the courseof their length, and at the same time give support to the slender andfragile tubes against the force of the water, and prevent them frombeing damaged thereby. And by placing the rows of tubes across which thecold water flows, so that the center of each tube, in each row, shall beopposite the center of each space between the tubes of the row on eitherside of it. This is most important, as it forces the water to sweeparound every part of the surface of each tube throughout its wholelength, and forms a sharp current upon its entire surface.

I make the shell A of my decalorator of boiler iron, or other suitablematerial, and of cylindrical or other desired form, I rivet the same atthe ends to flange rings see Fig. l the nozzles g and f. Figs. l and 2.I also rivet fast to the shell, I make in the shell openingscorresponding with the openings g, and f, respectively.

I make the tube plates d, CZ, d', d', to iit the shell of thedecalorator to e, Fig. l, leaving suilicient space between c and theshell to allow the stream of cold water to pass the plate. These platesI place alternately with e above, and then below, or with e to theright, and then to the left, thus leaving the openings between e and theshell alternate. These p'lates I either rivet fast to the shell as shownin my model, and in Fig. l, or confine to their respective places on thetubes, and so pass the whole tubular structure into the shell completeall but one end plate. The exterior diameter of the end. tube plates Imake to correspond to the flanch rings by which they are bolted to theshells, I make the holes in the tube plates in rows running parallelwith e Fig. 2, and so arranged that the center of the tubes in the firstrow, shall be opposite to the center of the space between the tubes inthe second row and so on throughout the series, see Figs. 1 and 2,through these holes I pass the tubes a, a, and make each end of eachtube tight in the end plates to prevent leakage, to the end plates andflanch rings I bolt the boxes B, C, respectively. The nozzle Z) of B Iconnect with 'the hotwell by a suitable pipe, and the nozzle c of C Iconnect with the condenser by an injection pipe of the ordinary size,having a valve, or cock, by which to regulate or shut off the injectionfrom the condenser.

The chambers or boxes B, C, communicate with each other through thetubes only,

they are each covered by a plate or bonnet of iron bolted to theflanches thereof, and can be taken off when desired, making both ends ofthe tubes accessible, so that a defective tube can be replaced by aperfect one, without emptying the shell of sea water. The nozzle f. Iconnect with t-he sea by an aperture in the-side or bottom of the vesseland usein connection therewith a centrifugal .or other pump, operated bya small engine, to cause the sea water to circulate through thedecalorator. The nozzle g I connect with the outside of the ship by adischarge pipe. I place my decalorator with its tubes and shell in ahorizontal position, near the bottom of the vessel, in order to get asmuch pressure within and without the tubes as possible and to preventthe admission of air without the tubes, or air or vapor within them. Itake care to leave both ends of the decalorator accessible, so thebonnets may be taken off and defective tubes replaced by perfect ones atpleasure. I so proportion my decalorator, that the stream of fresh waterinside of the tubes shall move through them with considerable rapidity,in order to secure a uniform current through them all, and to do thework with as small an apparatus as possible. I

`make my tubes of length suiicient to cool the water by passing oncethrough them.

Operation: The boilersbeing well cleaned from scale and dirt-are to havethe proper quantity of fresh water charged into them in port, thedecalorator, hotwell, and bedplate channel are also to be lled withfresh water. The small engine that operates the centrifugal pump is tovbe put in motion, so as to produce a current of sea water outside ofthe tubes before starting the main engine; the main engine is to bestarted in the usual way; the injection cock being opened the water Howsinto the condenser through the chamber C, Fig. l, tubes a, a, chamber B,pipe, and hotwell; having absorbed the caloric from the exhaust steam inthe condenser, it is removed therefrom by the air pump, and deliveredinto the hotwell, from which it passes into the decalorator asdescribed.

The current of cold sea water entering at f, Fig. 1 is directed acrossthe several rows of tubes successively, by the tube plates, see blackarrows Fig. 1 and around the tubes in consequence of their arrangementwith the center of the tubes of one row opposite to the center of thespace between the tubes with it as it advances in a direction indicatedby the black arrows Fig. 1 to contact with that portion of the tubeswhere the water from the hot well enters them, whence it escapes throughg into the sea, taking with it the caloric it has absorbed from thetubes in its passage through the decalorator; the fresh water from thehot well flowing through the tubes in a direction contrary to thecurrent of sea water, see red arrows Fig l is constantly losing more ofits caloric, and is constantly coming in contact with portions of thetubes surrounded by colder water until it enters C through that part ofthe tubes that is crossed and encircled by the cold sea water pouring inthrough f, direct from the sea and of even temperature therewith; and ifthe apparatus is properly proportioned the cooled water from the hotwellwill again enter the condenser at a temperature showing nothermometrical variation from that of the water outside of the ship.

I do not wish to confine myself in the use of my decalorator, to coolingthe condensing water of steam engines, but contemplate its applicationto all operations of cooling for which it is fitted; nor do I confinemyself to the cylindrical form of my present arrangement; nor do I claimmy decalorator broadly as a tubular device for cooling the condensingwater of steam engines, by means (f a stream of sea water outside of thetubes.

lVhat I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis.

l. The use or employment of a decalorator such as is described or itsequivalent, when the series of very small horizontal tubes are soarranged in respect to the current of water outside Vof .the tubes, thatthe center of each tube in one row, shall'be opposite, or nearlyopposite to the center of the space between the tubes in the next row,in combination with supporting and directing tube plates such as aredescribed, and for the purposes set forth.

2. I also claim the use or employment of tubes arranged in rows asdescribed, in combination with the tube plates, and shell of thedecalorator, when so arranged that the current of cold water is made toflow across the tubes, being directed bythe tube plates of fresh Waterinside of the tubes; for the purposes set forth.

ROBERT G. EUNSON.

Witnessed by 1 CHARLES E. MoR'roN, WM. A. LIGHTHALL.

